November 7, 2010:
Agusta Westland, a division of Italian firm Finmeccanica, has sold 22 helicopters to the Italian Air Force. Ten are AW139s, for search and rescue work. These are six ton aircraft with a max speed of 300 kilometers an hour, endurance of about three hours and capacity for 15 passengers. The other twelve were AW101s, for combat operations. These are 15 ton medium transport helicopters. AW101s can carry five tons of cargo or up to twenty passengers. Top speed is 300 kilometers an hour and endurance is about four hours. Each of the 22 aircraft will cost, on average, $77.3 million.